Rose and River
by Damonficgirl
Summary: A One-Shot that was floating around in my head. Set vaguely during the time of the 11th Doctor but not really canon specific. No spoilers for the anniversary episode because I haven't seen it yet! I just wanted to write something with some favourite Who characters in it to celebrate.


"Professor Riversong," River offered, extending her hand formally, "You're Rose Tyler." The wind ruffled their hair, it seemed to exist here in this place to remind people not to stay too long. It was a place of goodbyes. At least for Rose it was.

"Am I supposed to know who you are?" Rose questioned, gawking at the overdressed blonde who had mysteriously summoned her to Bad Wolf Bay.

"Oh certainly not. He'd have a pink fit."

"He? You mean The Doctor?" Rose asked anxiously.

"Who else?" River smirked.

"So you're a friend of his then?" Rose probed, hands on hips, head tilted slightly to the side, her glaze analysing the blonde in front of her. "Or is it more than that."

"Oh your instincts are brilliant. I can see why he likes you."

Rose was annoyed by her tone and her implication, and by the fancy flowing black dress and the immaculately curled and styled hair. River knew she would have made a better impression in her army fatigues or her Indiana-Jones-in-White getup but she didn't want to make friends with Rose Tyler, at best she considered themselves allies, really she just wanted to satisfy her own curiosity. "So what makes you such an expert? You look a bit posh to be a time traveller."

"Oh but I am. I was literally born for it. Created in the T.A.R.D.I.S itself."

"Created? What, like a robot?"

"Like a baby."

"Oh my god, you're not like, his daughter?"

River laughed. "Oh if only it was that simple. No I'm sorry to tell you this Rose but I'm his wife."

Rose as taken back, but did her best to keep her cool. She always knew there were others, there had to be. "But you're not sorry to tell me are you, not really, you didn't have to come here, did you?"

"Maybe not, but I knew our paths would cross eventually, or at least they might, and when they did I wanted this part to be over with, without him standing there looking awkward and trying to apologise. And I suppose I was curious."

"Curious?"

"See I might be his wife, but you travelled with him and he loved you and honestly if he had to choose between us I know he'd choose you, because I frighten him."

"Why's that?"

"Because I'm like him. I'm closer to what he is and he still scares himself. He hates himself, at least a little. So it's hard for him to trust me, for a long time it was, and then when it wasn't, it was too late, we'd run out of time."

"Sounds familiar. The running out of time bit anyway. For someone hundreds of years old that seems to happen to him a lot."

"Because we're not like him, we each get a small part of his time and he gets to miss us for longer than he ever spent with us."

"So you think he misses me?" Rose asked nervously.

River smiled, sadly, "Oh of course,… in his way. He doesn't like to dwell, and it's better he doesn't. If he does, well bad things happen, planets get forgotten, promises get broken, stars go out, so he must keep travelling and he must never be alone for too long."

"So why now? Why come all this way to see me, why risk tearing a hole in the universe, I thought it must be something important, I thought he must need you."

"Oh he will. But it was a convenient moment, I noticed a weak spot, I took my chance. It shouldn't do too much damage, I didn't step on any butterflies I hope," River teased.

"A weak spot. So you're telling me he could have come," Rose was hurt.

"If he'd been looking, but he can't, don't take it personally sweetheart, like I said it's better if he doesn't dwell. I shouldn't either, I'm too like him, like I said."

"So you're not human."

"Not entirely."

"Your parents were Timelords?" Rose puzzled.

"Companions of the doctor. I was conceived in the T.A.R.D.I.S in flight," she explained.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Wow."

River shrugged, "So I shouldn't dwell. But I wanted to see the girl the doctor loved and the woman who got to grow old with him, or at least a version of him. Thank you. It was nice to meet you."

"It was nice to meet you too, but I thought you said you were his wife, doesn't that mean you're the one who gets to grow old with him?"

"Not exactly," River explained quizzically. "My time is up. Thank you Rose Tyler. And good luck."

"With what?"

"Everything. There will come a time when he will need someone and I won't be there. Find your way to him," River instructed but she was already fading out of sight.

"Wait!" Rose objected, but it was too late. Rose shook her head in frustration. A part of her was jealous, but a part of her wasn't surprised. It made sense that in the yin and yang of the universe there would be a female version of the doctor, a bit crazy, a bit arrogant, slightly full of themselves but still beautiful and special and complicated.


End file.
